spring Arctic skua (20150418)

Had a great morning session which netted three year-ticks. Kicked off at Norra Ängalag and sat quietly to see what would fly by. There were plenty of fisherman disturbing the coastline but things were going past - the best bird being a splendid dark phase Arctic skua - a species I struggle with in the spring (usually because I am not here!). A singing male wheatear was new-in and a very welcome sight. Stuff was on the move overhead with a fairly constant trickle of passerines (siskin, pipits and wagtails) and even a kestrel. A single male gadwall dropped in at one point.

Next up was a look at Torekovs rev. Highlights here included the big flock of purple sandpipers (32), a single white-tailed eagle (2K) en route to the island and a migrating merlin (year-tick). Over at Vinga randy razorbills were a feature.

My first Cyphostephus tristriatus - a bug only found on juniper bushes with berries (if my Swedish translation was correct), that is where we found it anyway!

Later in the day we spent some time at Lya ljunghed beating bushes for invertebrates and found a great little jumping spider (Dendryphantes rudis) and a nice bug (Cyphostephus tristriatus) - the latter only found in junipers.

Last stop of the day was Klarningen - a few new birds in including four shoveler and at least seven swallows. Best of the rest included a green sandpiper and new total of five ringed plovers.

great day out (20150226)

Had an increasingly rare day in the field today in southerly winds, blues skies and lots of bird movement (mostly skylarks!). Skylarks were definitely the bird of the day, plenty already singing on territory and they could be heard overhead nearly continuously along the coast in the morning.

Great grey shrike finally fell for the year at Ripagården (one of four year-ticks recorded during the day), an engaging individual that was hopping about on the short turf searching for invertebrates. Thanks Sara!

I started the day at Glimminge plantering, where the beach failed to produce a ringed plover but it was evident here and at all coastal sites visited afterwards that shelduck had arrived in numbers. Dagshög next to check for the black duck (no sign), two black guillemots well offshore were the highlight here. Påarps mal did produce the black duck, sheltering in the rocks from the brisk southerly wind. Out on the island were my first ringed plovers (3) and three lapwing. Torekovs rev had two more ringed plovers and at least three oystercatchers. A single purple sandpiper was spotted way to the south on Svarteskär.

Norra Ängalag had a few birds moving through including ten white-fronted geese and a single stock dove going like a bat out of hell. My last coastal stop of the day was at Ripagården hoping for the great grey shrike reported earlier in the week. It was still present and showed very well, hopping about in search of food in the short turf by the sea. A Lapland bunting calling as it flew north was a nice bonus.

Finally I had a quick look at Klarningen. Lots going on here for a day in February with 17 shelduck, 12 teal and 36 lapwing all seeming very early.

Wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Had a great session doing another wildfowl count today. Snow was on the ground but the temperature barely dropped below zero, we might get a winter yet though. Torekov harbour had seven coot (!), 25 over-flying and very noisy twite (year-tick) and I nearly saw a black redstart I think...

The rev produced another noisy flock of 35 twite and at least two purple sandpipers. Rålehamn next and pretty routine here although the mirror calm sea produced the first three razorbill of the day. Out on Tjällran it was pretty quiet, something to do no doubt with the two large white-tailed eagles in residence.

Norra Ängalag produced another year-tick in the shape of a red-necked grebe (finally!) and there were at least ten twite feeding in fields here too. The final Ripagården leg delivered another year-tick (black guillemot), as well as 12 common crossbill and a dunnock. Not a bad count.

Afterwards I checked Klarningen for rough-legged buzzard and scored one. A few thrushes going past south included a single redwing. Checked Petersberg next and discovered that machinery is on site to level the reedbed and pit for development. I never really found anything amazing here over the last seven years but I always enjoyed poking about here for birds and other wildlife and it was one of the few bits of deep, open freshwater in the municipality. It will make reedbed birds harder to find, and destroy one of only two of the municipality's red-necked grebe breeding sites. Why the kommun is building houses in a floodplain is anyone's guess but no doubt money talked.

Swedish tick!

Christmas came late this year - glaucous gull at Torekov, an addition to my Swedish list and therefore a most welcome BK bird.

News of a glaucous gull yesterday on Hallands Väderö sent me out the door with some optimism this morning. I searched the coast between Torekov rev and Norra Ängalag before getting an SMS that Rolf had found it feeding on a dead porpoise just north of Torekov sewage works. Sure enough there it was on arrival and it posed well as it snacked on cetacean flesh. Superb!

Other highlights were few, there seems to have been a slight influx of goosander, whooper swans are still passing, the rev had two goldcrest and offshore Vinga held a pair of resting peregrines.

wildfowl count - part 2 (20140920)

The second part of my September wildfowl count produced some great birds including two BK year-ticks - nice to get a reward sometimes.

Getting out of the car at Torekovs rev just after 0800 was greatly enlivened by a close flyby Richard's pipit, calling well as it flew low south (just flushed from golf course?). Only my second BK record and my first self-found bird. Excellent. The rev was otherwise quiet although six shoveler were present, barnacle geese were obviously moving in modest numbers and a single bar-tailed godwit was only my second of the year...

Next stop was Rålehamn where a brief glimpse of a wryneck was confirmed by a sudden, surprising and very brief burst of song. The rest of the count up to Hovs Hallar passed without further excitement.

wader go

 My first grey plover of the year...

With rain forecast for most of the day I stayed off the roof and went birding instead. Been a while. Torekov was the obvious location as a number of potential wader year-ticks have been recorded there recently, the best of it being two broad-billed sandpipers. It took me a while to nail the main flock of waders down but I found a couple of sanderling on the beach and had three curlew sandpipers briefly whilst I was searching. The wader flock also contained a grey plover, a little stint, two broad-billed sandpipers and three knot. Ended the session with six year-ticks!

Nearby at Norra Ängalag it was pretty quiet, just 8 dunlin but evidence of passerine migration with showy redstart and spotted flycatcher available.

Nice

 Needed

more broad-bill

In the afternoon I engineered some time at Klarningen. Waders here too with spotted redshank (1), ruff (3), dunln (1), wood sandpiper (2) and green sandpiper (1) being the best of it.

scorcher

A warm sunny day had the odos out along the coast including this Cordulia on the golf club ponds at Torekov. Worth getting shouted at by irate golfers...

Had a morning in the field today and headed for the coast in blazing sunshine. Torekov rev had obviously received some migrants with two red-backed shrikes, a sedge warbler, two icterine warblers and a thrush nightingale in the bushes and at least nine yellow wagtails in the grass. A quick look at the new golf club pools in between golfers produced Cordulia aenea, Ischnura pumilio and Coenagrion pulchellum. But then I had to move on...

Norra Ängalag next and the plantation here had five spotted flycatchers for a year-tick. Down at the coast and in line with the many SMS texts received from the NW boys was a splendid passage of barnacle geese (1500+ but no brent). The shoreline near my watch point eventually delivered a nice set of waders with single dunlin, green sandpiper and best-of-all a single Temminck's stint.

Last stop of the day was at Ripagården which was rather quiet for birds barring 18 mostly thunbergi yellow wagtails. The odos though included a single tiny female Ischnura pumilio - my first of the year.

arctic roll!

Had my first proper morning in the field for some time today and it was packed full of birds. I worked the coast between Stora Hult and Gröthögarna searching in vain for a large congregation of feeding eider but sadly failing. No king this year perhaps...

Stora Hultstrand had single Slavonian and red-necked grebe and redshank (2), as well as a decent-sized flock of common scoter (130+). Nearby Grytskären had a single flyby curlew and more redshank. Ranarpsstrand produced a single flyby white-tailed eagle, another red-necked grebe and (far inland) a flock of 200+ golden plover took to the air. Segelstorpsstrand was quiet (just five great crested grebe). At Glimminge I heard my first reed bunting song of the year and also bumped into three twite.

The king eider search continued north. I dropped into Rammsjöstrand (a rare event), no eiders here but the small birdy bay just north of the harbour had some redshank (2) and a pair of gadwall. Next stop was Påarps mal and here I got three year-ticks in no time at all. A white wagtail was feeding along the shoreline, as were at least three dunlin and back in the juniper there was a pair of linnet. Offshore at least two shags on the rocks. The rev was busy with birders when I got there but I had a quick look, counting one dunlin and 17 purple sandpipers out on the rocks before the crowds sent me scuttling on my way.

Last stop of the morning was a look at Norra Ängalag but before I got there I was stopped in my tracks by the Rålehamn redpoll flock. Back again and still containing an Arctic redpoll (this bird was last seen on 1st February) . I got reasonable views on the deck through the scope but the bird was very skittish as usual so no chance of a photo. Also in the mix, at least three twite and 25 linnets.

Very little time remained to me to examine Norra Ängalag but a quick look revealed a pair of gadwall and yet another redshank.

In the afternoon we all walked in Sinarpsdalen, the only bird of note being a single jay, although the kids made so much noise they were probably disturbing birds down on the coast...

pinks

One of today's highlights was the huge flock of 30 purple sandpipers that is currently in residence at Torekovs rev.

Got out this morning to search along the coast between Påarps Mal and Ripagården. Plenty of year-ticks to be had, I ended up with five! I had not even got to the coast when I stopped at Slättaröd to check out my first stock dove of the year. Påarps Mal produced a flock of 19 resting ringed plovers and nearby the sewage works had my first oystercatcher. I checked out Svarteskär next for shags but there were none, instead an adult  peregrine offshore on Vinga Skär, four black guillemot on the sea and two razorbill past. The rev produced a fantastic flock of 30 purple sandpipers (my previous best of 17 blown away in the process).

Last proper stop of the day was Norra Ängalag, here a mistle thrush erupted out of the juniper and going through the greylag geese out on Tjällran produced the big surprise of the day - two pink-footed geese. A quick look at Ripagården on the way home failed to turn up anything notable.

100!

Bird of the day, an unseasonal 2K tundra swan, found by Jan and twitched off in the afternoon. Most of our tundra's come through in early spring and late autumn.

Got out early chasing a possible gyr falcon reported yesterday on Gröthögarna. Walked from Norra Ängalag to Ripagården and picked up a few good birds but no gyr. Walkign down to the coast at the start I flushed a common snipe from the side of the track. The big freeze is putting them in strange places apparently. A peregrine was out on Tjällran but there was little else of note until I reached Ripagården. Here on the seaweed bank by the harbour were nine starlings and a song thrush. Back at the car later a 2K female goshawk gave an impressive flyby.

In the afternoon we checked out Ranarpsstrand searching for pheasant (!), unseen by anyone this year in BK apparently... We saw a male! Hearing of a tundra swan found by Jan Skidell we drove up to Torekovs rev and were put onto the bird by a helpful birder. Also here at least one purple sandpiper to round off the day. The year-list hits 102 in record time, perhaps three weeks earlier than usual, although it has helped that I have actually been in Sweden during the whole of the month!

wildfowl count - Torekov to Hovs Hallar

Another morning duck counting, this time in much milder conditions, between Torekov and Hovs Hallar. In between the counting I found a few good birds. A male pintail popped up at Rålehamn. I finally found a raven (!) for the year, one flying noisily around Norra Ängalag. Ripagården produced a treecreeper in a small flock that also included three goldcrest. Tjällran had a roosting peregrine.

After the count I headed for Båstad to have a quick look for the oystercatcher, no sign but 18 whooper swans in the bay. Klarningen next hoping for the great grey shrike that has been reported occasionally over the winter. It was quiet on site but amazingly on the way home I picked up a great grey shrike as I drove up Sinarpsdalen. Year-tick number four for the day but as I opened the door I added another as ten waxwing swept over the front garden.

wildfowl count - Dagshög to Torekov

It finally went sub-zero today in time for part of my wildfowl count. I walked the section from Dagshög to Torekov and my shingles hardly bothered me, at last signs of recovery! The counting was pleasurable but did not provide much in the way of excitement. There was evidence of a little southerly hard weather movement from species like whooper swan and fieldfare during the morning. Best birds otherwise were a single male goosander (scarce this winter for some reason) and at least 12 shags on the rocks off Torekov

I had lunch looking over Torekov rev from the car and picked up another year-tick in the shape of a black guillemot, which flew in from the direction of the island. Also here at least three purple sandpipers and a shag feeding offshore. On the way home I picked up a covey of ten grey partridge in the big field at Norra Ängalag, whilst searching unsuccessfully for the redpoll flock. The partridge were year-tick number three for the day and my first since June.

yesterday

Had a day out in the field with Paul Cook yesterday and we worked the stretch of coast between Dagshög and Norra Ängalag. Paul inevitably got a few Swedish ticks (being the new kid on the block) but generally things were rather slow although we did spend a lot of time chatting...

The day was notable however for the continued slow passage offshore of good numbers of kittiwake and smaller numbers of gannet. Highlights on this stretch included at least one of the water pipits at Dagshög, three adult shags at Torekov, ten purple sandpipers at Torekovs rev and at least one on Tjällran, a big female peregrine in fields at Norra Ängalag and later perched on Tjällran and single dunnocks at Norra Ängalag and Torekovs rev.

Last stop of the day was a quick look around Kattvik, the sea was calm here but rather empty until Paul stunned me by finding a single shelduck off the harbour. Only my second BK January record and certainly my earliest.

shed load of year-ticks

It wouldn't be winter without at least one photo of a white-tailed eagle

Got out for another morning of birding today. Checked out Torekovs rev at first light and found one roosting purple sandpiper. Finally logging one for the year, others saw up to ten later in the day of course. A flock of 32 wood pigeon here too.

Next stop was the main purpose of my day out, ie to try and locate the Arctic redpolls found by Nils Kjellén two days ago. I knew where they would be, as I had found a small flock of redpoll in the area in early November... Sure enough the fallow fields just north of the golf course held a big and very flighty flock of about 150 redpoll. In amongst them at least one Arctic but it was difficult to get good views of it sadly.

Moving on to Norra Ängalag I met up with Olof Jönsson and Thomas Svanberg and they were kind enough to find me some more year-ticks whilst I rested my shingles. Kittiwakes were flying past, a bird I have been overlooking this year! A sub-adult white-tailed eagle cruised north. Thomas called a trio of snow buntings as they flew north offshore. Razorbills were present offshore, together with a few red-throated diver and one black-throated.

We all headed back to the redpoll field and saw the Arctic again and the guys noticed a few twite in amongst the redpolls this time. Nice. On the way home I bagged barnacle goose and collared dove bringing the BK year-list to fairly creditable 72.

061013

Struggling with a virus made for some poor birding today. I hit Torekovs rev in the morning but things were quiet (one chiffchaff) and I spent some time looking at large gulls... Later I walked Rålehamn and Norra Ängalag which was equally quiet (one chiffchaff) and four feeding curlew on the fields behind the coast.

In the afternoon I checked out Klarningen. More going on here with pintail (3) and shoveler (8) and at least 47 ruff feeding on the wetland and the former pea-field which has now been tilled. Walking the remaining stubble produced a big flock of 65 linnets and lots of skylarks but no buntings. Overhead a rough-legged buzzard went through south and buzzard and red kite were prominent. The calls of crossbill and water rail penetrated my virus-muddled mind before I headed for Eskilstorppsstrand. Here the beach was quite busy too with a single ringed plover being my latest BK bird ever and also single dunlin and six 1K grey plover. Not much offshore with flyby red-throated diver (1) and velvet scoter (5) only. Laholmsbukten has been empty this summer/autumn for some reason.

snow goose

Today's 1K white-tailed eagle, moments later it scragged an eider and drowned it before tucking in.

Managed to drag myself out into the field just before 0800 today. Hit Ripagården for an hour but there was very little moving overhead here and not much on the ground. A 1K white-tailed eagle cruised past and grabbed a male eider, calmly drowning it before tucking into breakfast. A black woodpecker called in the plantation and bouncing around in the tops of the pines a flock of ten crossbills was predictable enough this autumn. A jay to the south on Gröthögarna was another sign of autumn. Little moved on the sea but two red-necked grebes heading south were notable.

Next stop was Norra Ängalag, a large gathering of gulls was checked thoroughly but yielded nothing. A single wheatear feeding n the seaweed-covered shore another reminder of autumn and colder days to come.

Torekov rev was strangely deserted (disturbance?). Only birds of note a single rock pipit and a flyby red-throated diver.

In the afternoon we all headed out to Klarningen, a snow goose had been reported yesterday and it was still present today. Plastic fantastic! Also here 21 ruff and a dunlin. Later we walked Eskilstorpsstrand but nothing could we find. Strangely quiet at the moment, most migrants have bugged out and there seems to be slim pickings on the eastern front.

black-throated diver for the year at last!

A few sparrowhawks are coming through BK at the moment, this one grabbed a tree sparrow in front of me at Ripagården at lunch time.

First stop today was Påarps Mal as I worked the coastline north towards Ripagården. Plenty of birds to look at here. Six shags of various ages were my first of the autumn. A black-throated diver flew through - amazingly my first of the year... Single little and Slavonian grebes were notable for the site. A scattering of waders included three ruff and three greenshank and a bar-tailed godwit went past south.

Could not find much between Påarps Mal and the rev, but the latter site had some good birds as usual. Waders dominated the returns with little stint (1) the easy highlight amongst 140 golden plover, 18 dunlin and two bar-tailed godwit. Overhead I heard crossbill and somewhere in the woods an autumn black woodpecker was calling. Offshore rocks produced the autumn's first rock pipits (3).

Norra Ängalag and Ripagården were rather quiet in the short time I spent there. Ripagården had two lesser black-backed gulls and the only redshank (5) of the day, as well as a single 1K knot.

what no calidrids!

Had a good look around a few likely wader haunts in BK today and drew a blank for any calidrids. I checked out the coast between Torekov and Ripagården and Vejbystrand to Ranarpsstrand without any really notable birds coming my way.  A few species are obviously building in number though as we slide into autumn, including golden plover (80+ during the day) and Sandwich tern (15+). The only indication of any passerine migration was 8 crossbills south at Ripagården.

armatum again and again

The fantastic weather in the afternoon led to an exciting run of discoveries, with Coenagrion armatum found at two further sites in BK, this time in Skåne and therefore qualifying for the Atlas.

Had a spell birding around Gröthögarna in the early morning, on tenterhooks most of the time waiting for confirmation of my black scoter. Eventually just before 0900 the sms came through that the bird had been reported by Nils Kjellen - phew, being a single observer is harrowing at times. Birding at Rålehamn, Norra Ängalag and Ripagården was rather subdued. Barnacles were moving in a very small way, and yellow wagtails were on the ground in small numbers. Norra Ängalag produced the best birds with my first BK little tern of the year, as well as single ruff and dunlin.

 A Chrysomela populi at Rammsjöstrand brightened up the afternoon

In the afternoon Mrs B and I took advantage of the fact that the kids were at a party and got out into the unfeasibly warm weather (28 degrees, sorry of you are in the UK reading this). Dragonflies were flying and we headed first to check the pond at Glimminge. My first Ischnura elegans and Enallagma were on the wing and we did not have to wait long before a Coenagrion armatum male sauntered past! Bloody hell! Also here a grass snake and plenty of common newts and even a few great cresteds.

Checking a few wetlands around Rammsjöstrand failed to turn up any more armatum so we headed for Flytermossen. And guess what here we found seven armatum including two females! Just amazing!

Libellula quadrimaculata was a year-tick for me today (here recently emerged at Rammsjöstrand)

Flytermossen (Torekov) finally produced some female Coenagrion armatum, as well as at least five males, my first multiple sighting.

Coenagrion armatum at Flytermossen

ring ouzel madness

 In my first six years of birding in BK I recorded just seven ring ouzels, today I saw seven more!

After a lazy morning we headed out for a walk and a picnic around Gröthögarna. At Norra Ängalag a skulky ring ouzel dived into cover and disappeared. Song thrushes were everywhere. There were a few migrants around the car park here including single blackcap, lesser whitethroat and pied flycatcher. The walk around the headland was rather quiet although another year-tick finally materialised in the shape of a single confiding male whinchat.

Meanwhile Mats had found two more ring ouzels at Vasaltheden so we headed that way to check them out and get a site-tick. I braked just short of the gate because there were at least four ring ouzels grubbing about in the trees either side of the gate! In the end we counted at least six but I think there may have been more. Many moved out onto the bare fields nearby to feed, whilst others skulked inside the juniper. Superb!

Last stop of the day was Klarningen. Things had quietened down considerably here since yesterday, although it is always a difficult site to work against the light in the afternoon. Water levels continue to drop alarmingly... Best birds here were greenshank (1) and my first lesser black-backed gull on site this year.